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However that kind of proportion isn't implausible considering Singapore is a single city, many other cities see that level of support for a single party.

Voting is always a show of trust. Consider how many seats PAP won, it is apparent that most of the people still trust the "good ol'" whiteshirts, even if they are geriatrics now.

Either that or it is a situation of "vote for the criminal you know".

__________________

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

Not without emerging from the polls completely unscathed and paying the price of the ousting of a few good ministers.

But what is interesting is that from the results, the ruling party enjoy relatively good support in the west from those lower working class. But cracks have began to emerge in the east from the more educated, middle to upper income class.

Not without emerging from the polls completely unscathed and paying the price of the ousting of a few good ministers.

But what is interesting is that from the results, the ruling party enjoy relatively good support in the west from those lower working class. But cracks have began to emerge in the east from the more educated, middle to upper income class.

The upper class could be considered the haves, while the lower working class could be considered the have-nots. The PAP are pandering to HDB prices, and rising costs that does not affect the higher-income classes (because they have more money to spend), so naturally, these people didn't vote for them.

Have v Have-nots has always been a mainstay in many political competitions because they have different wants based on their lifestyles; the former may want a better life while the latter may want to be able to get more out of what they have in life. It is a murky area that sometimes, if the income gap is wide enough, unrest breaks out.

Though I would like to see how PAP tackles the rising cost issue. It is moved by external factors and there is little the government can do, other than doing some subsidising until the shit blows over. But it isn't going to be over soon because Dr Breen is still printing money, and those retards in the Mideast won't stop fighting amongst themselves.

Come to think of it, TRL must be crying himself to sleep now since Nicole Seah didn't win Marine Parade - he wanted a chick in the parliament so he can get more motivation to edit and cover political reports at work.

__________________

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

Come to think of it, TRL must be crying himself to sleep now since Nicole Seah didn't win Marine Parade - he wanted a chick in the parliament so he can get more motivation to edit and cover political reports at work.

I can't comment on her ability to lead. But posing with a high class product and making a snide remark to a comment of an political opponent will not exactly go down well with the voters. She's lucky that she had a former Prime Minister on her side.

I can't comment on her ability to lead. But posing with a high class product and making a snide remark to a comment of an political opponent will not exactly go down well with the voters. She's lucky that she had a former Prime Minister on her side.

You got stamps on your eyes? She is no chick. She's a normal looking pettanko (and with what the guys at hardwarezone have put it, a slappable face).

Her snide comment is well worth it because Nicole Seah really needs to get her head out and walk around more, and do some research on macroeconomic issues before she rants about the income gap and rising costs. Up till now, there are still many who don't understand that this is an inevitable issue precipitating from chaos in certain parts of the world that is disrupting international financial systems and trade.

Yesterday's Lianhe Wanbao (the tabloid-ish Chinese newspaper) blared the headlines of Nicole wanting to have a legal suit with Pei Ling over those comments. Since Pei Ling had worked in M&A, I am sure most, if not all of the men in Singapore, are waiting for Pei Ling to acquire Nicole and merge with her amidst a field of lilies into the PAP.

__________________

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

Despite the reinstatement of a two-thirds majority in Parliament, I see little cause for optimism for the PAP. I cannot dispute the fact that the PAP did garner the majority of the votes needed to retain its status as the Government, but neither can I overlook the drop in the PAP's winning margin; 60.2% this year, compared to 66.6% in the previous election, and 75% in the one before that. Almost across the board, even in the constituencies they've won, support for the PAP has dropped.

I never expected this election to bring about much change in the status quo, and I wasn't disappointed in that regard. But if I may venture a guess, I'd say that the younger generation of Singapore are making their presence felt; probably the first time they've ever been able to vote, they've used it to announce their dissatisfaction with the policies of the ruling party. And the young ones are just going to grow in number, while the older folks that make up the core of the PAP base will only slowly lose their numbers to the crematorium.

Writing's on the wall. Can this trend be reversed, or is it a matter of a few more Elections for real change to happen?

Despite the reinstatement of a two-thirds majority in Parliament, I see little cause for optimism for the PAP. I cannot dispute the fact that the PAP did garner the majority of the votes needed to retain its status as the Government, but neither can I overlook the drop in the PAP's winning margin; 60.2% this year, compared to 66.6% in the previous election, and 75% in the one before that. Almost across the board, even in the constituencies they've won, support for the PAP has dropped.

I never expected this election to bring about much change in the status quo, and I wasn't disappointed in that regard. But if I may venture a guess, I'd say that the younger generation of Singapore are making their presence felt; probably the first time they've ever been able to vote, they've used it to announce their dissatisfaction with the policies of the ruling party. And the young ones are just going to grow in number, while the older folks that make up the core of the PAP base will only slowly lose their numbers to the crematorium.

Writing's on the wall. Can this trend be reversed, or is it a matter of a few more Elections for real change to happen?

It doesn't really matter because the younger generation is indeed pampered by the government with good schooling, housing, access to comforts and job opportunities.

And they just pick up anything the opposition says and nod their head without using it. I wondered if the S$700 PAP gave us is for an air ticket out of Singapore should the opposition win - I fail to see credibility in any of them (especially NSP, slogans and pandering to "democracy against monopoly of power").

The party that rules isn't important. It is the younger generation and their 20-30 year plan for the future of the country that matters.

__________________

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

The party that rules isn't important. It is the younger generation and their 20-30 year plan for the future of the country that matters.

It's not that difficult to maintain control over a mindless horde. I'm more worried about who the Political Party let in. Let face it, neither Seah nor Tin are riped for the political stage, given their antics.

It's not that difficult to maintain control over a mindless horde. I'm more worried about who the Political Party let in. Let face it, neither Seah nor Tin are riped for the political stage, given their antics.

I am more inclined to think that they know how to talk not think. Tin's speeches are like what the old-people have crafted for her, while Seah is just throwing straw men and red herring.

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

Come to think of it, TRL must be crying himself to sleep now since Nicole Seah didn't win Marine Parade - he wanted a chick in the parliament so he can get more motivation to edit and cover political reports at work.

I was never a Nicole Seah supporter, leh (but I still support more pretty faces in Parliament; another five years of Lee Bee Wah, OMG). I was being sarcastic the previous time. Anyways, I cannot anyhow endorse or criticise MPs-elect or candidates, otherwise people say I biased.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

But what is interesting is that from the results, the ruling party enjoy relatively good support in the west from those lower working class. But cracks have began to emerge in the east from the more educated, middle to upper income class.

Not true at all. The Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency comprises the highest concentration of "upper-middle" and "upper-class" Singaporeans of all wards, and despite predictions of a close fight, the opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) "A" team was soundly beaten. The results there were PAP 60.1% versus SDP 39.9%.

And this was despite a great deal of unhappiness with the PAP anchor candidate Vivian Balakrishnan, the Sports Minister who busted the Youth Olympic Games budget by S$200 million (US$161 million). There was also resentment broiling against Mr Vivian for his clumsy use of a smear tactic, implying near the start of the campaign that the SDP team had a gay agenda.

The way I read the results, it's clear that richer, better-educated Singaporeans were able to distinguish between good or bad proposals, and chose the candidates who they felt could implement the best policies (SDP candidate Tan Jee Say proposed raising income taxes to 30% for the rich... dumb much?).

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

But this chick (Ms Ting Pei Ling, aka, "Ms Kate Spade") got in :-

I can't comment on her ability to lead. But posing with a high class product and making a snide remark to a comment of an political opponent will not exactly go down well with the voters. She's lucky that she had a former Prime Minister on her side.

On the contrary, I believe she has cost former prime minister Goh Chok Tong severely. Mr Goh was a highly popular PM and his ward of Marine Parade has always been a PAP stronghold, considered well-nigh unassailable. But in this election, the PAP team in Marine Parade garnered only 56.7% of the votes, versus the opposition's 43.4% (the "Nicole Seah" effect).

That's 56.7%, folks, significantly below the national average of 60.14% for the PAP. That result speaks volumes — people there were very likely voting against Ms Tin Pei Ling than for the opposition.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

Not without emerging from the polls completely unscathed and paying the price of the ousting of a few good ministers.

Indeed. The strongest opposition party, the Workers' Party, wrested control of Aljunied GRC and thus toppled two Cabinet ministers from power, including the widely respected foreign affairs minister George Yeo, reputed to be the most "liberal" and most erudite among the current generation of Cabinet ministers.

So, if anything, this General Election shows how warped the "Group Representation Constituency" system is. If not for the GRC system, voters wouldn't have had to put up with what they consider a lightweight MP-elect, nor would they have been forced to choose between a good team of opposition candidates and a Cabinet minister most people liked.

Speaking personally, I strongly feel the GRC system must be abolished. It warps democracy and I don't believe any Singaporean other than a PAP cadre truly thinks it ensures minority representation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ascaloth

Despite the reinstatement of a two-thirds majority in Parliament, I see little cause for optimism for the PAP. I cannot dispute the fact that the PAP did garner the majority of the votes needed to retain its status as the Government, but neither can I overlook the drop in the PAP's winning margin; 60.2% this year, compared to 66.6% in the previous election, and 75% in the one before that. Almost across the board, even in the constituencies they've won, support for the PAP has dropped.

I never expected this election to bring about much change in the status quo, and I wasn't disappointed in that regard. But if I may venture a guess, I'd say that the younger generation of Singapore are making their presence felt; probably the first time they've ever been able to vote, they've used it to announce their dissatisfaction with the policies of the ruling party. And the young ones are just going to grow in number, while the older folks that make up the core of the PAP base will only slowly lose their numbers to the crematorium.

Writing's on the wall. Can this trend be reversed, or is it a matter of a few more Elections for real change to happen?

I strongly agree, and I think the PAP leadership has received the message, given Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's sombre speech at the press conference after the election.

And, believe me, it's not just the PAP that is worried, but many older voters too, including people of my generation, the tail-end of Generation X (those born in the 1960s to 1975). It's not that we don't sympathise with the grouses of younger voters, but that we worry that idealistic youth just don't understand the kind of risks they are playing with (for example, Ms Nicole Seah, who parleyed strawmen polemics to her great advantage).

Personally though, the best take-home message for me is how online media completely fails to be representative of "mainstream" opinion in Singapore. If one reads online media alone, you'd think that all of Singapore was ready to throw out their present "masters". Well, the results speak for themselves: so-called "objective" (lol) online media represent only the usual tiny group of whiners who make the loudest noise. They are the kind of people who would ask for the Sun when you give them the Moon, and proceed to ask for the galaxy when you deliver the Sun.

Not true at all. The Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency comprises the highest concentration of "upper-middle" and "upper-class" Singaporeans of all wards, and despite predictions of a close fight, the opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) "A" team was soundly beaten. The results there were PAP 60.1% versus SDP 39.9%.

Forgive me, but this is me waking up at 5 AM and observing the results at a glance, only to see that the PAP had won by a bit of a margin in the west.

Quote:

On the contrary, I believe she has cost former prime minister Goh Chok Tong severely. Mr Goh was a highly popular PM and his ward of Marine Parade has always been a PAP stronghold, considered well-nigh unassailable. But in this election, the PAP team in Marine Parade garnered only 56.7% of the votes, versus the opposition's 43.4% (the "Nicole Seah" effect).

Look at it this way, if she stand as a lone candidate in a SMC, would she have won any seats ? There had to be a reason why the PAP teamed her up with the SM and not the current PM or the MM. True, she had cost the SM. But without the SM, she's most likely doomed on her own.

Quote:

And, believe me, it's not just the PAP that is worried, but many older voters too, including people of my generation, the tail-end of Generation X (those born in the 1960s to 1975). It's not that we don't sympathise with the grouses of younger voters, but that we worry that idealistic youth just don't understand the kind of risks they are playing with (for example, Ms Nicole Seah, who parleyed strawmen polemics to her great advantage).

Such are the sign of the times as we have lived through the past 50 years or so without much political upheaval and spoon fed by the Governement in more ways then one.

I think we need a major disaster to jolt those complacent portions of the population awake. Failing that, a second coming of the MM to lead us.

Indeed. The strongest opposition party, the Workers' Party, wrested control of Aljunied GRC and thus toppled two Cabinet ministers from power, including the widely respected foreign affairs minister George Yeo, reputed to be the most "liberal" and most erudite among the current generation of Cabinet ministers.

So, if anything, this General Election shows how warped the "Group Representation Constituency" system is. If not for the GRC system, voters wouldn't have had to put up with what they consider a lightweight MP-elect, nor would they have been forced to choose between a good team of opposition candidates and a Cabinet minister most people liked.

Speaking personally, I strongly feel the GRC system must be abolished. It warps democracy and I don't believe any Singaporean other than a PAP cadre truly thinks it ensures minority representation.

Ha! I don't believe even many PAP cadres believe the GRC system is truly there for its spoken purpose of minority representation. I'm pretty sure most of them are aware, especially given this election's results, what it really is for... and this is where I stop, lest I recieve an invitation for a kopi session.

Quote:

And, believe me, it's not just the PAP that is worried, but many older voters too, including people of my generation, the tail-end of Generation X (those born in the 1960s to 1975). It's not that we don't sympathise with the grouses of younger voters, but that we worry that idealistic youth just don't understand the kind of risks they are playing with (for example, Ms Nicole Seah, who parleyed strawmen polemics to her great advantage).

Huh. I personally find it hard to believe that many Singaporean youth actually sincerely believe that this year's Elections had the potential for much change of any significance. Hell, I'd take a wild guess that the Opposition in general did as well as they did this year because the youth are all too aware of that fact. Who cares if whatever the Opposition is saying makes any sense or not; if you lack the fear of the PAP that your fathers do, if you know the Government probably isn't going to change whether you vote Opposition or not, and the only reason to vote against the PAP is to tell them "no, fuck you", why wouldn't you?

Quote:

Personally though, the best take-home message for me is how online media completely fails to be representative of "mainstream" opinion in Singapore. If one reads online media alone, you'd think that all of Singapore was ready to throw out their present "masters". Well, the results speak for themselves: so-called "objective" (lol) online media represent only the usual tiny group of whiners who make the loudest noise. They are the kind of people who would ask for the Sun when you give them the Moon, and proceed to ask for the galaxy when you deliver the Sun.

The way I see it, the online media aren't representative of "mainstream" opinion; they're representative of the POV of the group of people who are most familiar with usage of the Internet; once again, the younger generation. And yes, I'd dare claim that much, since that includes those of the younger folks who are "pro-PAP" or "objective", who are as free as any of the "pro-Opposition" guys to make their POVs known online. And I should know, given that there were more "objective" thinkers within my circle than I expected over the last few days.

So once again, this goes back to the numbers game; yeah, the current Government still has the majority for now. However, give or take several more Elections, a couple of age groups newly of age and eligible to vote, and a couple more safely ensconced in urns and out of the picture, who knows?

Well, I make no secret of my professional ties and more than one person here knows my identity. And while I may disagree with most of its editorials, I respect The Online Citizen for being an alternative voice for the people. My respect, however, does not extend to the other website that claims to be the "true" voice, but is nothing more than a platform for whiners who dare not put a name to their complaints. They are, in my opinion, just a bunch of cowardly rabble-rousers with zero credibility.

Heck, my hopes for true reform includes dismantling the many laws that effectively turn our constitutional right to free speech into a privilege. None of the parties campaigned on that platform, even if it appears in some form or another in their manifestos. That to me, is the real challenge for the future, a time when Singaporeans dare to look beyond bread-and-butter issues and think seriously about what kind of democracy we truly want. Young or old, I think most, if not all, Singaporeans would support such changes.

I was never a Nicole Seah supporter, leh (but I still support more pretty faces in Parliament; another five years of Lee Bee Wah, OMG). I was being sarcastic the previous time. Anyways, I cannot anyhow endorse or criticise MPs-elect or candidates, otherwise people say I biased.

Admit it. You are one of those people who would willingly vote for her because she's cute.

Like the mad fanboy at one of the rallies who waved a banner "Nicole, will you marry me?".

Quote:

Not true at all. The Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency comprises the highest concentration of "upper-middle" and "upper-class" Singaporeans of all wards, and despite predictions of a close fight, the opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) "A" team was soundly beaten. The results there were PAP 60.1% versus SDP 39.9%.

And this was despite a great deal of unhappiness with the PAP anchor candidate Vivian Balakrishnan, the Sports Minister who busted the Youth Olympic Games budget by S$200 million (US$161 million). There was also resentment broiling against Mr Vivian for his clumsy use of a smear tactic, implying near the start of the campaign that the SDP team had a gay agenda.

The way I read the results, it's clear that richer, better-educated Singaporeans were able to distinguish between good or bad proposals, and chose the candidates who they felt could implement the best policies (SDP candidate Tan Jee Say proposed raising income taxes to 30% for the rich... dumb much?).

If they tax the rich, they would pull their domestic businesses they have nurtured in Singapore out of here. And in 5 years time, we wouldn't even have enough money to lend Malaysia to pay off their sovereign debt.

What I am actually worried about is the income tax. As abovementioned, if their finance ministry continues to spend stupidly, the rest of SEA will have to bail them out and they will definitely borrow most from their closest neighbours - and the money will come from our pockets. Who knows, they might even reinstate the tax on private investment.

GST will definitely rise. The question is when : I was hoping for a delay of at least until start of 2013 or near end 2012 so I can rebuild my savings (which is burned thanks to the goddamn expensive piece of paper called a degree). Also, I am still wondering how Singaporeans, being so pampered by the government, are going to cope with that emotionally.

Quote:

On the contrary, I believe she has cost former prime minister Goh Chok Tong severely. Mr Goh was a highly popular PM and his ward of Marine Parade has always been a PAP stronghold, considered well-nigh unassailable. But in this election, the PAP team in Marine Parade garnered only 56.7% of the votes, versus the opposition's 43.4% (the "Nicole Seah" effect).

That's 56.7%, folks, significantly below the national average of 60.14% for the PAP. That result speaks volumes — people there were very likely voting against Ms Tin Pei Ling than for the opposition.

Her number of haters seem to be rising though. She better do something right, or she will never be able to live in Singapore again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakubeX2

Such are the sign of the times as we have lived through the past 50 years or so without much political upheaval and spoon fed by the Governement in more ways then one.

I think we need a major disaster to jolt those complacent portions of the population awake. Failing that, a second coming of the MM to lead us.

It is no use. See the flooding of Orchard Road? The only thing they did was complain, grouse, whine, <insert an uppity and childish act of Singaporeans when something screws up>.

If an earthquake hits, they will go "Where is the SCDF?".

If someone invades us, they will go "Where is the SAF?".

When we got hit by a terrorist attack, they will go "Mata zho simi?" (What are the police doing?).

My generation (1985-1995) is probably the start of the decadence, though I don't know what it will take to wake them up. Maybe it is like what one of my Warrant Officers back in my army days said, "Stupid got medicine or not?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

Heck, my hopes for true reform includes dismantling the many laws that effectively turn our constitutional right to free speech into a privilege.

My dear sir, people often cry out for the freedom of speech when the freedom of thought is seldom used.

__________________

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.